


Just once more

by LokiismyfavouriteAvenger



Category: Loki - Fandom, MCU, Marvel, Thor (Movies), Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Fix It Fic, Fix-It, Gen, Jotun, Jotunn Loki (Marvel), Jotunn | Frost Giant, Loki - Freeform, Loki is not dead, Loki is safe, Not the End, Post statesmen explosion, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Resurrection, iw, not accepting IW, shut up Thanos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-05-02 12:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14544861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokiismyfavouriteAvenger/pseuds/LokiismyfavouriteAvenger
Summary: The goddess of healing and resurrection comes across the site of Thanos' attack on the Asgardians. She finds death and destruction, but there is more...





	1. Resurrection

**Author's Note:**

  * For [KaoticLoki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaoticLoki/gifts).



> I couldn't accept that part of Infinity War. And I won't. So here is an idea I came up with. Gaelic goddess of Health and Resurrection. I didn't go into too much detail about her, just used the name and powers...
> 
> This might be the beginning of a series, though I have no idea how to continue this at the moment, so it may just be this one shot.
> 
> I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to leave a comment!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my wonderful beta @we_dreamerz for editing this chapter!!

Airmeith was angry, a sentiment she had not often felt. There had been nothing she could have done on Xandar; the Mad Titan and his allies had been thorough, as they always were. She’d seen it before and feared she’d have to see it again. It left her feeling powerless and angry, which conflicted with her true nature. Airmeith was known for her kindness, her patience and, of course, her exceptional healing powers. She wasn’t called a Goddess of Health and Resurrection for no reason, though resurrection wasn’t technically the right term. As long as some tiny spark of life remained, she could reignite it, fan the flames with her healing ability until, to most onlookers, it looked like a resurrection. But she had never managed to save anyone from Thanos.

Lost in thought, she stood near the front window of their spaceship. Though she wasn’t the captain of the crew, they all did what she told them to. All of them had been saved and healed by her at some point, and afterwards pledged allegiance to her. She’d never asked for this, but with outbreaks of serious epidemics throughout the galaxies, they never ran out of destinations.

The intercom buzzed. Distress signal. Asgardian rescue ship. Civilians. No warriors. Attacked. They were on their way in no time.

The sight was brutal. Debris and bodies floating through space, the aftermath of an enormous explosion. Airmeith didn’t even have to look to know what had happened. She’d seen this happen countless times before. She didn’t get her hopes up, but she had to try. Standing in the middle of the bridge, she felt all eyes on her. So, she did what they expected of her. Airmeith closed her eyes and let that other sense take over, preparing to have her gentle heart broken again.

She felt them, the lives that had been here minutes ago. Young, old, male, female, mostly Asgardian, though there were a few others as well. Half the Asgardians had gotten away, she felt the traces of their lives leaving the scene together in a certain direction. She knew what had happened. She also felt Thanos and his children, strong, distorted presences she knew all too well at this point. Some others had been here and left with an Asgardian who had lived through the explosion, relatively unharmed. So, his life or death didn’t mean anything to Thanos. Strange. Airmeith used her sense to reach out to debris and bodies. She was able to feel life, she couldn’t feel the dead, so spaceship parts, rubble or bodies all felt the same to her, dark spots in space. There was no Asgardian life left here, that much was for certain. She was about to give up when she felt another presence. 

Before she could process what it was she was feeling, her eyes opened. “Over there. Left. Go!” she commanded in a calm voice and the spaceship motioned to where she pointed.  
Airmeith was excited. Of course, she always felt a certain rush of excitement and tension wash through her when she was about to save someone; but, this time there was more to it. She’d never been able to safe anyone from Thanos. If there was anything, he and his people were exceedingly good at, it was killing. They were thorough and merciless; they always made sure those who had to die did actually die. And now she could feel life at this site of destruction and death.

Jotunn. Interesting. She’d almost overlooked him, those tied to the elements like water (ice) or fire were always difficult to spot because their life force felt more... elemental, rough, more like a force of nature than a force of life if that made any sense. Nevertheless, they had found him.

They brought him inside. He didn’t look too good. His outer appearance was that of an Asgardian, but Airmeith clearly felt his Jotunn life force. She’d heard stories about a Jotunn in Asgard, stories she hadn’t believed at the time. Maybe they had been true after all. However, she didn’t waste any time. His life force was weakening, he could be gone any second now. Kneeling next to him, she placed her hands above his heart. Closing her eyes again, her powers tingled through her body, warm, calming, comforting, a wave of energy, warm and thick like honey, accumulated in her hands. She let go of the feeling and pushed it towards the dying Jotunn on the ground, stabilizing him. As soon as he wasn’t on the brink of death anymore and the effects of space were annihilated, she got to work on his injuries. Neck snapped. Windpipe crushed. That wasn’t how Thanos usually killed, this person must have been special to earn such an outstanding death. Except that is wasn’t his death. A satisfied grin spread across Airmeith’s face. A quick touch of her fingers to his neck was all that was needed to bring it back into its intended position, healing bones and nerves and tissue. She placed both her hands on the bruised skin of his neck, just touching him gently, letting warmth float through her palms onto his skin and into his body. She could feel him healing under her touch. Removing her hands from his throat, she pressed one hand to his forehead and one to his heart. Sending a last wave of life through him, she pulled back, kneeling next to him without touching.

The Jotunn’s eyes flew open. He gasped for breath, hands grabbing for his throat in panic. Still holding his throat, he looked around, gazing at them with wide eyes. “What... where... who... where’s Thor?” he managed to ask, shuffling backwards to lean against the wall, panting. 

“Calm down. And put that dagger away, you won’t need it here,” Airmeith answered.

He looked at her, wide eyed, keeping the conjured dagger in his hand. 

“We found the remnants of your ship. You were dying but I was able to save you. My name is Airmeith, I am the Goddess of Health and Resurrection. I don’t believe I ever healed a Jotunn before and you definitely are the first one I was able to save after an attack by Thanos. I think we have some talking to do,” she explained calmly. “Come now. And put that dagger away,” she said again, getting to her feet and motioning him to follow her.


	2. Settling in

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airmeith shows Loki around. He settles in. Or does he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ATTENTION: Please read the author's note, chapter 10 before continuing! 
> 
> This was originally not planned. I wanted to write a one-shot, but here we go. This is new territory for me, as I usually only publish what is finished. I hope you guys like it!  
> I even made up a planet for it!
> 
> Please let me know what you think!

“And you are sure he is alive?” he asked for the fourth time now, always phrasing it a bit different but nonetheless asking the same thing. Airmeith was used to this. It was common for people who had been on the brink of death to question everything that had happened in the meantime. Especially if it had been traumatic near-deaths, as this one surely had. And especially if they had lost someone or didn’t know about their fate. So she answered in her usual calm manner. “If he was the one who was close to you when the ship exploded, then yes, he was the one who was taken away by another spaceship. Then yes, he is alive.” He didn’t seem entirely convinced.

He’d had a shower and cleaned himself up, washing the blood away that had encrusted parts of his face and eyes. They had given him fresh linen clothing and had promised to fix the damage on his leather armour. He hadn’t been too happy to hand it over, but he had complied. Then, she had introduced the crew and they had given him something to eat. He hadn’t touched anything, though, just drunk a cup of water. Airmeith could feel the tension in him, which was normal as well. He did not trust them and something told her to be careful with him. She had promised to answer his questions as thoroughly as possible, but she would only get vague answers from him. Nevertheless, as she was well versed in filling in the blanks, she understood enough to get an impression of what had happened to him and his people. 

He was obviously some kind of nobility, and as far as she remembered, the Jotunn in Asgard had been brought up as a prince. He’d had some kind of quarrel with his brother, who seemed to be the one who got picked up by the other ship. Their relationship was more than complex from what she could make out of the expressions he used, the way he talked, his tone of voice and his whole demeanour. Nevertheless, it was obvious to her that he loved his brother dearly. Thanos had wanted something from him and he had had to give it up for his brother’s life. What he did not say but she knew nonetheless was that – to some extend - he blamed the attack on the ship on himself. Whatever it had been that Thanos had wanted, it had called to the Mad Titan and he had come to get it. Loki had brought it with him, so he felt responsible. In a way, that made sense. However, it could have been purest bad luck that they had run into Thanos.

“Where are you going now? I need to find my brother,” Loki stated. Airmeith gave him a long look. “We are on our way to Cortaxa. There has been an outbreak of a mysterious fever,” she explained. Loki shifted in his chair. He didn’t like what he was hearing, that much was for certain. “Cortaxa is about two days from here. Could you take me to Knowhere? I could get myself a ship there.” Airmeith shook her head. “We will not change our plans. We are going to Cortaxa, direct route. Afterwards, we can take you to Knowhere.” He nodded. Airmeith narrowed her eyes and met his gaze. “Listen, if you plan on taking over this ship, I have an advice for you: don’t. It will not do you any good and it won’t work out in the first place. The crew is loyal to me. And there will be no killing on this ship, do you hear me? They all are under my protection, is that clear?” she asked in a strict tone. “He looked right at her, his blue eyes staring into her green ones intently. “Is that a threat?” he finally asked. “No. I’m just stating the facts.” - “Fine. Cortaxa, then Knowhere. No taking over the ship, no killing anyone,” he replied. Airmeith wasn’t convinced. On the contrary, she was sure he would try something.

She leaned back in her chair. “So... a prince, huh? Do you prefer being addressed as such?” she asked. She hadn’t meant it as a joke but had seen it as a valid question. His reaction, however, was fierce. “Do not mock me, woman. I have ruled, I will not be spoken to as a prince again after I have been king!” She had obviously touched a nerve there. As quickly as his anger came, it dissipated again, leaving him smiling a bit too broadly. “Please... do not take offence. You may call me Loki, that will do just fine.” Throughout his emotional outbreak, Airmeith had not even twitched. She was used to being yelled at, insulted or driven away by those whose closest kin were gone for good and therefore could not be brought back again, as well as being admired, gaped at or feared by those who saw her safe someone beyond any hope. 

He leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped under his chin, looking at her. “If you are as powerful as you claim to be, how come I never heard of you before? Why did you never visit Asgard?” Airmeith gave him an assessing look before answering. “Believe it or not, but I am roughly 3000 years old. Most of that time, Odin was king of Asgard, but he was also a warrior, fierce and without mercy. He would take lives while I would try to protect and restore them until he stopped after his victory over Jotunheim. There is not much we had in common and Asgardians are not so fragile that they would need much of my help in the first place. I did visit once, though, about 500 years ago. You and your brother were not there, they had sent you to Vanaheim for hunting, which of course was a pretence. There was a sickness that spread quickly and threatened to kill the entire population. I healed Queen Frigga the day I arrived, I remember.” At the mention of the name, she could see Loki shift his stance. He laid his hands down on the table and focused on her. Interesting. So he had cared a lot about his adoptive mother, though trying not to show it. When he spoke, his voice was calm but with the touch of a strain. “They later called it the secret fever because people didn’t talk about it. I did not know that the Queen had been affected.” – “Oh yes, she was very much on the brink of death, but I managed to get to her just in time. It were hostile alien spores that caused the fever. The spores were destroyed later, though not by me. I am not capable of taking life.” Airmeith saw that he still was processing what she had said about Queen Frigga. She sighed internally. Reading people, no matter what race or entity had become one of her specialities as she was confronted with the fiercest emotions all the time and though he was very good at deception and keeping up his appearance, she could read him like a book. He was clearly one of those who claim to be disinterested and cold, pretending not to care but deep down inside feel very strongly and care to the point where it hurts. This kind of people suffered the most and would not accept help.

Snapping out of it, she nodded and got up. “You have been through a lot and it is getting late. I will show you where you can sleep tonight, please follow me.” He gave a curt nod. For a millisecond, she saw fear on his face. Which was normal. They were all scared of the first night after almost dying. In his case, torture of a loved one, a cruel, lost fight and witnessing half of his people getting slaughtered surely gave enough fuel for possible nightmares, let alone having his trachea crushed and his neck snapped. He walked behind her without a word, only the sound of his boots echoing through the corridors. 

She knew he would not like it, but it was the only option. Opening the door to her cabin, she explained. “You will be sharing a room with me tonight. Please, let me finish,” she held up a hand as he started to protest. “As you can see, the beds are separate, each on one side of the room. It’s simple: after being brought back from near death, people should not sleep alone. I will not talk it nice: you will suffer from nightmares. Mostly, those nightmares are just that, you, trying to process a traumatic experience. However, in a situation like yours, it is possible that you harm yourself in your sleep. I have seen some people kill themselves for good while in panic from a nightmare, not knowing what was real and what was dream. So if you should happen to hurt yourself in your sleep, I will be there to help.” What she didn’t say was that she often ended up holding crying people, comforting them, lulling them to sleep. Or discovering that some killed themselves on purpose, especially during the first night. Airmeith knew that some on the ship had nightmares every single night and were afraid to go to sleep. So when there was a new person on board, she would never let them sleep alone in a room but keep them near her. Usually, they settled in quickly, as most where not alone when boarding, so they would share a room with some of their own kin or race. She didn’t know yet how she would proceed with Loki, but that decision could wait until tomorrow.

He sighed. “I am not thrilled by the thought of sharing a room with someone I did not know 12 hours ago. However, you saved my life, so I doubt that you intend to take it from me.” She nodded. “I hope I can say the same about you.” He was about to protest but she shot him a wary glance. They sat opposite each other now on the edges of the beds. “I can give you something to help you sleep, if you want to?” Airmeith offered. He declined. “I’d rather not be drugged tonight, but thank you for the offer.”

Later, when they lay in silence in the dark, she could hear him shift in bed, turning, trying to get comfortable but failing. She didn’t say anything. She wouldn’t be able to help as long as he refused to take the offered sleeping potion. After a long, long time, his breathing became calm and regular. She allowed herself to drift to sleep, though that didn’t last long.

Airmeith woke up with a blade to her throat.


	3. A slit throat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki threatens Airmeith, whose reaction is not what he expected. Will he finally understand who he is dealing with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovely readers, here is another (short) chapter. 
> 
> I will not be able to update as often as I did up to now, because unfortunately, my holiday is over and I haven't got as much time for writing as I would like to. Nevertheless, this story is definitely going to continue and will be finished (at some point in the future).
> 
> Hope you enjoy it! Comments are always welcome :)
> 
> And I changed the age from general to teen and up due to this chapter. Don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, better safe than sorry.

She had expected as much. “I wouldn’t do that,” she said calmly. In the emergency lighting, which was the only light in the room now, she was able to make out Loki’s face, tinged in an eerie orange glow. “You will take me to Knowhere at once. Tell your people to change the route. I am sorry it had to come to this, but you give me no choice,” he stated, and she almost believed him. Almost. “We are going to Cortaxa. I will not tell anyone to change the route,” she said. The blade pressed harder against her skin. “Do not think I will refrain from killing you because you saved me. If that is what it takes to get my will, then I am ready to do it,” he threatened her. She believed him. “And what would you do after killing me? Do you think the crew would be intimidated and do what my murderer demands?” she asked. The blade started to dig into her flesh, hurting her, though not breaking her skin yet. “I would make them. Your crew means nothing to me. I would not enjoy it, but I would do what is necessary to get me to Knowhere,” he continued. Airmeith sighed. “Go ahead. Try your luck. Try to kill me,” she murmured, her voice devoid of any other emotion than boredom. 

“Wh… I beg your pardon?” he replied, obviously perplexed. The pressure of the knife on her throat weakening. “You heard me, Loki. Try to slit my throat. Do it. You will see what happens. And maybe then you will finally understand who you are dealing with. So, go on.” She could see the confused look on his face. “I will not chance our route. We will go to Cortaxa, then Knowhere. Do it,” she said. He gave her another irritated look before pushing the blade closer to her flesh. “I am sorry it had to come to this,” he said before drawing the metal across her throat, pushing the blade in. 

“What…?” he managed to say, staring at Airmeith in disbelief. He looked at the bloody blade of the knife, then back to her. She had sat up in bed and finally switched on the light. Damn, it had hurt, she had forgotten how much that hurt. She looked at him and wasn’t able to hide her smile when she saw his incredulous expression. “I am a goddess of healing, remember? That means I can not only heal others, but also myself. Do you really think you are the first who tries to kill me?” she touched her throat, where a smudge of blood was the only proof of the failed assassination, not even a scar remaining. The moment the blade had broken her skin, she had already started to heal. He had cut her throat, but she had healed it so fast that it had looked as if the blade had not damaged her skin at all, except for a small trickle of blood where her carotid artery had been injured. He still gaped at her in disbelieve.

“Do you want to try something else? Stab me in the heart, maybe? Or try something that doesn’t involve a knife?” she teased. Choking? Break my neck? She didn’t say it out loud because as annoyed as she was by his attempt to kill her, Airmeith never was cruel, that just wasn’t in her. 

Recovering from his shock, Loki got up. “Be this as it may, I do not have to kill you. I could kill someone else from the crew. That blood would be on your hands,” he said while slowly moving towards the door. She sighed again, the sound making him turn around to look at her. “Everyone on this ship is protected. My power here is not limited to my body. They are healing as fast as me as long as they are here,” she explained. Annoyance showed on his face, then it lit up before coming to a neutral expression. He was about to say something when she interrupted him. “Don’t try to manipulate the electronics or the controls. They are specially configured to the crew’s biology. Nobody else can control it but those who have been entered into the database by me. You cannot take over the ship. Therefore, accept our itinerary and go back to sleep.” He gave her long look. “I need a walk,” he said quietly before disappearing out of the door. Airmeith sighed. She knew he wasn’t finished yet.

She leaned back against the headboard of her bed, rubbing her throat lost in thoughts. It had been a while since someone tried to hurt her with a blade. She hadn’t missed it, that much was for certain. For a few minutes, she dwelled on thoughts about her past. How many times had people used violence to get her to do something. Or not to do something. To heal someone or not to heal someone. To tell them how she did it, when she herself had no idea how. It was as natural for her as breathing. When she concentrated, she could feel the life forces of creatures miles away. The closer she got, the more she could tell about them. Their health, their strength, their illnesses. She could make them stronger, heal any disease and any wound, as long as there was a spark of its own life left in the creature. She would strengthen the original life force with hers and then the life she gave would become the creature’s. She wasn’t connected to that it in any way and she didn’t feel that she had given something of herself away. She didn’t know how she did it, it just worked. 

It was different on the ship, though. The reason for that was that the ship wasn’t entirely inanimate. It was a unique kind of artificial life form, not even Airmeith did fully understand. It looked like a normal spaceship, but she was able to feel a life force in the walls, floors, ceilings, the machines and the hull, every part of the ship, surrounding her and giving her comfort. When she had found the ship on an empty, abandoned planet, she hadn’t believed her sense. Nevertheless, it was hers now and through its life force, she was able to channel and transfer her powers to everyone on board. This was why they all healed as fast as she did. 

She closed her eyes, wanting to know what Loki was up to. She couldn’t suppress a chuckle when she found him. He was really something. She got up. This could be fun.


	4. Illusions and Invisibility

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plan A failed. Good that Loki always has a plan B. And C. And D?

She watched him from a distance, hiding behind a bend in the corridor. His abilities were truly remarkable, it was like spying on herself, which was also a bit otherworldly and irritating. She had felt his life force, trying to mould itself into the shape of her own. As far as she could tell, he really looked like her, the long ginger braid slightly tousled from sleep, the curves of her body clad in a light green nightgown, the feet bare. Her hands wandered to her hips. Did they really look this broad? Airmeith sighed. 3000 years old and still vain. Considering that 3000 years was rather young for her race, she shrugged and rather concentrated on Loki in Airmeith-form, trying to hack the controls of the ship, cursing under his breath. 

The ship would not react to his attempts, beeping faintly when he pressed certain buttons. No matter how good his shapeshifting or the spell that made him look Asgardian were, his life force would always be Jotunn and the ship knew. For the umpteenth time, Airmeith wondered how the ship and she herself knew. 

Loki’s tries to manipulate the controls became more and more frustrated. The cursing grew louder, and he kicked against the wall with his foot, momentarily forgetting that he was not wearing his sturdy boots but was in fact barefoot. Wincing, he stood on one leg, holding his hurting foot, contemplating and grumbling. Airmeith watched him, keeping her distance. He seemed to have an idea as his posture changed. A green shimmer encompassed him and then, Loki-Airmeith was wearing the bright green linen tunic, brown trousers and boots of the same colour, her hair falling to her waist in a neat, thick braid, looking like she had when they picked him up today. 

The real goddess of healing was impressed. His skills were very refined, and she was wondering what else he was capable of. She followed him as he made his way towards the bridge – imitating her posture and gait perfectly- making Airmeith grin to herself. He was determined, that was for sure. 

On the way, she stopped for a second, pressing several buttons on a control panel. This would be so interesting.

Ilamel, a light elf, was on duty on the bridge. The ship was flying on autopilot, following the previously calculated route to Cortaxa. The night shift was a mere precaution to any unforeseen occurrences. The elf nodded towards Loki-Airmeith, who strode towards her. “I have changed my mind. We are going to bring Loki to Knowhere first and will fly to Cortaxa afterwards,” Loki told her. Ilamel wrinkled her forehead. “But Airmeith, we gave our word to that poor soul back in Xandar. With all due respect, there are people dying and this deviation would cost us about six days now.” Loki shook his head. “A lot more people will die if we do not take the Jotunn to Knowhere as quickly as possible,” he said. Ilamel didn’t look convinced. The real Airmeith felt a ripple go through her copy. It was as if Loki’s life force moved away from the Airmeith on the bridge towards the Airmeith hiding behind a corner, but she couldn’t see anything. Before she was able to process what her extra sense was telling her, she felt a hand covering her mouth and was dragged backwards into a storeroom, a strong arm wrapped around her waist. 

“Don’t scream,” Loki’s voice was right next to her ear, his hot breath grazing her skin. Airmeith could feel his body behind her as she was pulled against him. She nodded. He slowly took the hand from her mouth, still holding her in a tight grip. He was so strong that she wasn’t able to turn or push herself away from him. “So please, enlighten me. What would you do if I started to scream?” she asked, her curiosity not feigned. Loki had begun to tie up her wrists behind her back. She had no idea where the rope had suddenly come from. “I would have to gag you immediately. I will have to do that eventually, but I wanted to speak with you before,” he answered smoothly. He pushed her back against the wall and downwards. She slowly slid down the wall. When she was seated on the ground, he started to tie her legs together. Airmeith chuckled, which earned her a slightly irritated glance from Loki. “I am impressed with your persistence, but I have to inform you: it will not work,” she said calmly. Now it was Loki’s turn to chuckle. “You are telling me this because you want to trick me. Woman, I am the trickster. I’m the one who tricks people and persuades them to do what I want. You should stick with healing, leaving the tricks to me.” 

She felt a tiny bubble of anger rising inside of her. The way he said “woman” annoyed her immensely. Of course, she was a woman, but the way he said it, it sounded derogative. And if he was the trickster, why had they found him as good as dead after Thanos’ attack? Had that been one trick too much? She pushed the negative emotion away. He had just revealed something about himself, something he had not told her before. She had heard stories about Asgard’s trickster, the God of mischief and lies. She had not been certain if it truly was him, but now she knew. He had finished tying up her legs and had stood up. “I’m not trying to trick you. I am merely telling the truth. It will not work. I saw you with the consoles, that did not work either, did it? The ship knows the difference between you and me. It will not react to your command. And it will not react to the commands the crew gives now. I programmed it to only follow my personal commands. But you are welcome to try anyways, though you will fail.” Loki stared down at her, his gaze seemingly void of emotion. Nevertheless, Airmeith knew he was angry, scared, desperate and tired. “Feel free to try it anyways. I will be waiting here for you,” she added. Loki snorted, bend down, grabbed her chin and roughly pushed a piece of cloth into her mouth, though she did not struggle against it. He turned invisible before the door opened and closed again, leaving Airmeith sitting in the dark. She sighed, trying to get as comfortable as possible, though she knew he’d be back in minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> Thanks to everyone who left Kudos and/or commented! Your feedback is highly appreciated!


	5. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the truth is revealed. Will they head to Knowhere now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the delay in updating. I had a bit of a writing block and wasn't too sure about this chapter for a while.
> 
> Thanks to everyone who reads, leaves Kudos and/or comments!

He was back after twelve minutes. 

He was invisible when the door opened, and the light turned on but as soon as the door closed, he appeared seemingly out of nowhere in front of her. She could see the anger on his face, but also despair in his eyes that he tried to hide. He crouched down in front of her, pulling the gag out of her mouth. However, he only glared at her, not saying a word. For a brief second, Airmeith was tempted to start the conversation with “I told you so,” but she didn’t. He was defeated, and he knew it. 

“Why don’t you tell me the truth for a change?” she asked instead. “I beg your pardon?” – “The truth. There is more to it than you told me. Knowhere. It’s not just to get a ship, is it? You could try to get to Earth from Cortaxa as well, looking for your brother there, you said the rescue ship was headed there and he is likely to want to go there too. I know, they only have slow cargo ships on Cortaxa, but still… Or you could have asked us to bring us to Earth. But you didn’t. So why not tell me your reasons? Sometimes, the truth gets you further than omission and lies,” she stated calmly, trying to read his face and failing. He contemplated for a while, then knelt to untie her binds, his face suddenly very tired. “Alright. I will tell you. But not here,” he answered. “I woke some of the crew. The other elf and one of the light green guys,” he informed her. Airmeith sighed. “I will get them back to bed. We meet at the cabin later.” Loki glanced at her, then shrugged and nodded. 

It took some convincing and several minor lies to get them back to their respective quarters but ultimately, the bridge was empty again except for Ilamel, who still was on duty. Airmeith made her way back to the cabin, balancing a tray with two cups and a tea pot in front of her. She was tired but knew she’d not be able to sleep any time soon anyways.

Upon entering the cabin, she found Loki siting on the edge of his bed, dressed in the casual clothing they had provided for him. As she placed the tea on a small side table, she saw him glancing at the liquid suspiciously. This guy had severe trust issues, that much was for certain. She took her place on the edge of her bed opposite him and poured tea into both cups, making it clear that she would drink the same beverage as him. She wouldn’t push him, though.

“So. You wanted to tell me something,” she finally addressed him when he didn’t start to speak. Loki shot her a wary glance. He was obviously not pleased about this. “Do you know what Infinity Stones are?” he asked her, leaning forward, his hands pressed together. “I’m afraid not, you’ll have to explain,” Airmeith answered. She had heard the term once or twice but could not place it. Loki rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by her ignorance and the need to explain things from scratch. 

Airmeith did not like what she was hearing. Thanos was on his way to immense power. Two of the stones were in his possession now and according to Loki, two more were currently on Earth and one in the collection of the eccentric being that called himself the Collector. In Knowhere. Airmeith had come across him several times and was not on friendly terms with him. He treated people as property, adding them to his “collection” and had called for her help when some of them had fallen ill several decades ago. She remembered arguing with him, but he would not let them leave. She had tried to bribe him, event to buy them from him but he answered that he would have to get replacement for them. A failed rescue attempt later had led to serious injuries to several of her crewmembers. She hadn’t seen him since.

Something else bothered her, though. “You know a lot about those stones and about Thanos. Would you mind telling me where this knowledge comes from? I know that is not standard Asgardian knowledge.” He hesitated. “I was in the possession of two of the stones several years ago. I… was in debt to… him at the time. He gave one of the stones to me as means to retrieve another stone. It did not end the way he wanted it to and both stones were lost for him. One was brought to Asgard, the other one was left in Midgard. The stone that is currently with the Collector has been handed over by Asgardians. It had been found a few years ago and Odin did not want to have two of those stones in his possession. He thought it wiser to scatter them. The one we kept, the Tesseract was brought with us when Asgard was destroyed. I do not know where he found the other stone that they brought with them when our ship was ambushed,” Loki explained, looking up with a pleading expression on his face. “We must reach Knowhere before he does,” Loki he added.

Interesting, Airmeith thought. Loki gave her the least information possible. It was obvious that he had things to hide from her. She had to ask directly. “You disappointed him in the past. Now he found you and thinks you are dead. Would it not be wiser for you to stay hidden? And, much more importantly: why did you not talk to me earlier? Why all the lies?” Loki gave her a tense smile. “I am the God of Lies. Do you really expect me to tell you the truth at once?” his face grew serious again. “I thought it would be easier to take what I wanted, not having to ask first. In addition, you have to grant me that I was as good as dead when you found me, I may have taken longer to think this through than I normally would have,” he replied almost pensive. “And what will you do with the stone when you have it?” she asked bluntly. If all this was true, then there was no time for niceties. Loki looked at her, obviously contemplating his answer. “I will be honest this time. I don’t know yet. Maybe hiding it would be the best idea. I doubt it can be destroyed at all. Keeping it with me is another possibility. I could use it against him, though that would probably end in my permanent demise, which I have no desire for. I have not decided yet. The vital point is that he does not get the stone.”

Airmeith closed her eyes and sighed. She was torn but deep inside she knew she’d made her decision a while ago. She just hoped she would not come to regret her choice. “Alright. We are going to travel to Knowhere as quickly as possible. Cortaxa afterwards. Whatever you will be doing, I do not care, as long as you keep the stone from Thanos. I agree that we have to do what we can to keep him from becoming more powerful.” She got up. “I’ll tell Ilamel about the change of plans. I hope there won’t be mutiny when I change route so soon again.” With that, she left Loki behind and walked off towards the bridge. Airmeith tried to stay calm. She’d not shown too much emotion while Loki talked, but now, alone, she could let her guard drop a bit. This was extremely alarming. She was scared, plain and simple. What Thanos would be capable of if he ever came into possession of all the stones combined… she’d rather not think about it. She had to do her best to prevent this from happening.


	6. The calm before the storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Airmeith changes her plans. Loki discoveres that the night is dark and full of terrors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay again, but here it is: the next chapter! It's the longest so far, I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> As always, feedback is welcome :)

Upon getting back to their shared cabin, Airmeith found Loki peacefully asleep. She smiled to herself, emptying her cup of tea in a long swig. He had drunk three quarters of the tea in the pot, finally giving in to dehydration. He’d get a good night’s rest without nightmares, Airmeith had made sure of that when she’d added the sleeping draught to the tea. She briefly wondered whether she had managed to trick the trickster or if he’d known exactly that she had added something to the drink. It was definitely not beyond him to know. Shrugging, she climbed into bed, glad that the draught got her sleepy. With the occurrences of the last few hours, all the excitement as well as the information she’d learned today, she would not have been able to sleep at all without help from the draught. 

When she woke up feeling well rested, Loki was still asleep, lying on his side facing the room. One of his arms was hanging from the edge of the bed, the fingers touching the ground. Airmeith looked at him, contemplating. Maybe it hadn’t been wise to change her plans due to the tales of someone who was called the God of Lies. She shook her head. He had seemed so sincere - and truly frightened, though he had tried to hide that, of course. Nevertheless, she’d seen the signs, the tiny tells people had. Sighing, she got up, collecting some clothes for the day and moving into the small bathroom for a refreshing shower. She’d need a sober mind today. 

Emerging from the bathroom, she spotted Loki sitting on the edge of his bed. He looked better than yesterday, rested and determined. “The bathroom is free now. I’m going to find me some breakfast, you’re welcome to join me, if you like. We’ll arrive in Knowhere tomorrow around noon, until then, you can do whatever you like, just don’t try to sabotage anything or manipulate my crew. And..,” she hesitated. He shot her an expectant glance. “Please don’t tell them we might encounter Thanos. I don’t want them to panic,” she mumbled. Loki nodded. She was almost at the door when he asked: “The tea was drugged, wasn’t it?” Turning around, she studied his face. He did not look angered, just interested. “Yes, it was. And it gave us both the opportunity to rest well,” she explained. He nodded again. “I will not be drugged again tonight. I would appreciate it if you could refrain from doing that.” Airmeith sighed. He might change his opinion after the first nightmare. If not, it would be a very long night for both of them. “I will not drug you against your will,” she stated, leaving him behind as she stepped into the corridor.

Loki did not join her for breakfast. The goddess of health used her time to search the database for useful information. She read up the few things she could find on the Infinity Stone, not too happy with what she learned. If they would be able to take the Reality Stone and hide it from Thanos, they might even be saving the universe. She continued to research other things, about Asgard and its gods. About her newest passenger, though there wasn’t too much news. He’d tried to take over Earth, or Midgard, how it was called in Asgard, and he had failed. She was intrigued to find out about his supposed death in Svartalfheim. After that, the official Asgardian records she had access to only mentioned him as a hero whose sacrifice had saved the heir to the throne. A statue in his honour and festivities to commemorate him, lasting several weeks where described in a very short manner. And after that: nothing. 

As she was about to renew her knowledge about Jotunns, Loki strolled into the common room. He nodded at her, then sat down in a comfortable, upholstered chair facing one of the windows. He didn’t say a word. Airmeith resumed reading, not bothered by his presence at all. After a while, he got up and grabbed himself one of the tablet devices that where neatly stacked on a shelf. They were for communal use and had access to the database, as well as several millions works of fiction for recreational purposes. Airmeith usually didn’t believe in secrets, so everyone of the crew had access to any information she might have. Though not this time. She had told Loki to keep some things to himself. About what or who they would possibly face once they reached their destination. She shifted in her chair, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable. It was for their own best, she thought. 

After priming the primitive and ineffective defence weapons of the ship, Airmeith looked after all the emergency exits and rescue pods, making sure her people could leave as fast as possible if the need for evacuation should arise. Then, she joined the crew for dinner. She was pleased to see Loki enter shortly afterwards, sitting down in the far corner. She wanted to address them after dinner. When everyone was finished, she cleared her throat and stood. They looked at her expectantly, eleven heads turned towards her. “I’m sure you have asked yourself why we changed our plans and fly to Knowhere instead of Cortaxa,” she began. Some nodded, others just looked at her. “I have received information that made the change of plans necessary, even unavoidable. I cannot tell you more at this moment, though as always, any of you who might want to leave the crew in Knowhere are welcome to do so. We will refuel and restock our supplies and then leave immediately for Cortaxa. Any questions?” There was mumbling but nobody spoke up. Airmeith nodded. They never questioned her decisions, which was sometimes rather irritating. She knew they saw her as a superior being, knowing exactly what to do. She didn’t. Though they would not believe her if she ever said so.

Airmeith wanted to call it a night. It had been a rather quiet day, eerily quiet. The calm before the storm. Loki had refused to take anything to make his sleep dreamless. They still shared accommodation. It would not be worth the trouble of having him get settled anywhere else. He’d be leaving tomorrow anyways. 

The god of mischief was still reading in bed when Airmeith bid him good night and turned her face towards the wall. Not many people would have been as relaxed as she was in the presence of someone who had tried to slit their throat. Not being someone who looked back too much, the goddess chose to ignore that fact. It helped to know that he could not harm her anyways.

She soon fell asleep, only to be woken an hour later by groans of agony, heavy panting, fearful whimpering and thrashing. Airmeith sat up. Loki was having a nightmare and it seemed to be a truly horrible one. 

She flicked on the lights and saw him lying on his back, kicking the feet he had tangled in his blanket. His hands were near his throat clutched into tight fists and he was gasping for breath like a fish on land. His back was rigid, and all his muscles seemed to strain. The goddess of health was at his side in no time, grabbing both of his shoulders in a firm grip. “Loki. Wake up! It’s a dream. Loki!” His face was a mask of fear and pain, tears streaming from his eyes, mouth twisted, his jaw clenched. He managed to kick her hip with his knee, still asleep and struggling. Airmeith let go of one shoulder. With a sigh, she slapped him hard across the face. “Gaaaah!” Loki pushed himself into a sitting position, eyes wide and aiming a punch in her direction. She was quick, but not quick enough to fully dodge his fist. It connected with her right temple. The force of the hit sent her sprawling to the floor. 

“Ouch”, she mumbled, the pain stinging. Pressing her hand to her clearly broken temple, Airmeith got up. Her magic was already working, the pain subsiding quickly. A panting Loki was staring at her wide-eyed. “Airmeith?” he asked with a rasping voice. Only now he seemed to realize that he was drenched in sweat and tears. Looking down, he wiped the wetness from his face, embarrassment and anger showing on his features. “It’s alright. You’re not the first to punch me and surely not the last,” she said calmly, sitting down at the edge of his bed. “I,…I,… Please excuse… this,” he said insecurely, gesturing vaguely at her face and himself. His eyes did not meet hers. 

She sighed. “As I said, it’s alright, don’t worry.” He didn’t reply, and the silence became more and more uncomfortable the longer neither of them said anything. Instinct told her that he wanted to ask for help but didn’t know how. Surely his pride had a part in this too. Clearing her throat, Airmeith began to speak again, her voice soft and soothing. “Some find it helpful to take a hot shower after a nightmare like this. Some want to talk about the dream or about what has happened to them. Some want to be held. Some want to get the pain and spasms massaged out of their cramped limbs. Some want to be distracted with stories about completely different, often trivial things. Some want to scream and yell. Some want to hurt somebody else. Some want a sleeping draught. Whatever you decide for, I will provide it for you,” she stated calmly. Everyone reacted a tad differently, but one thing they all had in common so far: nobody wanted to be left alone.

Suspecting she knew which options he’d go for, she was utterly surprised when the god of mischief and lies reached for her hand. Without a word or a look, he clutched her left in both of his cold sweaty palms, holding onto it like it meant life or death. His gaze was intent on her hand in his. After a few moments, he gave her a tight squeeze, then let go and got up, still not looking at her and not saying a word. The bathroom door closed with a mild bang and seconds later, Airmeith heard the water running. With a sigh, she got up and changed Loki’s sweat-soaked sheets. At least he hadn’t wet himself as most of them did. 

Several minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, still not looking at her. She sat on her bed, watching him. He took the clean clothes she’d places on his bed. With a sideways glance at her, he turned his back to her and let go of the towel. She forced herself to look to the side but couldn’t help to notice the scars on his back, as well as his firm butt. She heard the rustle of the covers and dared to look up again. Loki was sitting up in bed, staring at the steaming cup of tea she had placed on his nightstand, clearly contemplating. Coming to a decision, he snatched up the cup and downed it in one long gulp. When he placed the empty cup back on the nightstand, his eyes briefly met hers. He nodded at her before laying back and turning his face towards the wall. Airmeith nodded. At least they’d get some rest. Turning of the lights, she lay down as well, though it took some time until sleep found her again. When she finally managed to drift off, Loki had been sleeping peacefully for almost an hour already.


	7. Goodbyes and Hello

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Getting closer to Knowhere, Airmeith makes a decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dear readers (I hope there still are some left), please excuse the long wait!! RL has been busy and I struggled with this chapter. In fact, it was finished but it just didn't work out, so I rewrote more than half of it - which changes the whole concept of my story. 
> 
> That said, I hope you enjoy the update! Please - as always - feel free to let me know what you think!

Airmeith woke up early. She didn’t feel well rested but got up nonetheless. While the warm water of the shower caressed her skin, she let her thoughts run wild. She was putting her crew in danger. If they should encounter Thanos in Knowhere, he would show no mercy. He never did. And they followed her without knowing what their fate could be. They trusted her, and she betrayed their trust. If she’d told them, they would have come anyways, she knew that much. They all thought she knew what she was doing, all the time. She sighed. Maybe all would be well. Maybe they could secure the stone, Loki would leave them, and she would be free to head for Cortaxa again. 

Somehow, she didn’t believe it would happen that way. She had changed her mind already, originally planning on getting rid of the god of mischief, dropping him off and leaving him to his fate, whatever that would be. Now, she was determined to help him with the stone. If they made it in time, she’d do anything that needed to be done to get it. She’d decided this during her restless night while sleep evaded her. She’d dismiss her crew, shoo them away if necessary. They shouldn’t be put in danger for her, and they should not be trusting her blindly. This was so much more dangerous than what they usually did. She sighed again. She’d help Loki, whatever his plans were. 

However, something else came to her mind. What if they were too late? What if Thanos had the stone already in his possession? She hadn’t really considered this possibility, Airmeith realized with a start. How stupid she was! In case they were too late, she’d have to make up her mind if she wanted to let Loki leave and pretend she knew nothing about the danger everyone in the universe was in – or she could try to help. Closing her eyes and leaning back against the cool tiles of the shower, she knew at once what her choice would be. She wasn’t a fighter, but she could probably undo some of the damage eventual fights might cause. She could help. She would at least try. 

With another sigh, she turned the water off. When she stepped out of the bathroom, Loki was awake. “Good morning. We will be reaching Knowhere around noon. I expect you on the bridge by then,” she told him. He nodded. “I will join you there.” They were both tense. 

Airmeith tried to have breakfast and failed. She was too nervous. Taking small bites, she forced herself to eat a little bit of food. She’d probably need her strength soon.

Time wouldn’t pass. The goddess was restless, getting up and sitting down again, wandering the few corridors of the ship just to sit down at the table again – just to get up a minute later. Loki had joined her at some point and was clearly unnerved by her fidgeting. “Would you just sit down?” he half asked half demanded. Shooting him a weary glance, she sat – just to get up again when Ilamel entered the room, announcing they would be arriving in Knowhere in less than half an hour.

Airmeith and Loki joined the rest of the crew on the bridge. They scanned their surrounding continuously, looking for anything that might give them an idea what lay ahead. As soon as the scanners had Knowhere in reach, they looked for spaceships in the orbit. They found none that would correspond to Thanos’ humongous warship, though that meant nothing. Loki had informed the goddess of healing that Thanos would be able to teleport with the Space Stone. However, the closer they got the, more proof they found that Knowhere was not destroyed or the population halved. No too obvious destruction that the scanners picked up either. 

Airmeith closed her eyes. She didn’t feel death or destruction, not more than usual. Knowhere felt like it always did, bustling with the most diverse life, a chaotic, anarchic place. When she opened her eyes again, she found Loki looking at her expectantly, his posture tense. “And?” was all he managed to ask in a croaky voice. She shook her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” she answered, the relief visible on Loki’s face. “We will be landing over there, as close to the centre as possible,” she advised the crew. 

After checking if really everyone was on the bridge, Airmeith raised her voice. “Listen up, everyone. I thank each and every one of you for your loyal services to me. You have helped me help others and I thank you for that and am eternally grateful for your support. However, I have a very different request today. I ask all of you to take your belongings and leave me and this ship behind,” she held up a hand to calm the murmurs that started to rise. Of course, they didn’t like it. Which was the point. She wanted them to be mad at her. They were supposed to leave, to be safe. She would not be able to grant them their safety anymore.

“I will be going into dangerous territory. I will not put any one of you in that danger. I have already transferred units to each of your accounts, enough units to buy a small ship or book a passage to your home planets or wherever you want to go. You can get everywhere from this place. My decision is final. And if any one of you is still here when I return later today, I will kick you out of this ship. This is my last word and I hope it is understood. As Thanos is likely to arrive here sooner than later” – here, shocked gasps and shrieks of horror interrupted her speech – “…as Thanos is likely to arrive, I implore you to get away from this place as soon as you can.”

Whispers and frightened looks in her direction were the result of this revelation. Some scurried towards their cabins to gather their belongings. At least they knew her well enough to realize that her decision was final and that she meant every word she’d said.

Loki gave her a weird look from the side. “You did not tell me any of this,” he whispered. She took a deep breath. “I didn’t want you to talk me out of it. I’m going to help you, if you want it or not. Thanos has to be stopped and apparently, you and I are key figures in that endeavour now. We must get the stone from the collector. As soon as we have it, we will leave this place, alone, on this ship. There is a dense nebula not far from here, we can hide in there and think about what to do with that thing in the first place,” she said determined. She knew they should have talked about this earlier. They should have made a plan. Think ahead. However, now was not the time to think but the time to act. 

She walked around, saying quick goodbyes to the members of her crew. Most of them had not been with her very long as usually people were fast to declare loyalty, just to realize after a few months that travelling from crisis to crisis was not nearly as much fun as it sounded. Nevertheless, two of the crew had been with her for several years. 

Ilamel and her sister had tears in their eyes when Airmeith walked towards them. Before she could speak, the light elf took her in her arms. “We know you would not do this if you had no good reason. Airmeith, please be careful and visit us as soon as you can. We will be waiting for you on Stent. You know I we have family there. You are always welcome,” she said, tears rolling down her cheek. The goddess supressed tears herself. This was not an easy goodbye.

“So…,” she addressed Loki while both of them made their way towards the exit of the ship a bit later, “how will we get the stone? Any ideas?” He shot her another dark look. “With all due respect, I do not think there is a we. It would be better if I retrieved the stone and then left alone. Hiding it would be best,” Loki answered. Airmeith barely raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be ridiculous. I will not let you go alone. We will do as I said. End of discussion!” The god of mischief looked at her again, assessing her. “Your plan is as good as any. If you insist on getting yourself into trouble, who am I to judge.”

She grinned, surprising herself by actually feeling excited. “Oh, I absolutely insist and as far as I can tell, you have expert knowledge in that field. So, what are we going to do now? Are we making this up as we go?” He chuckled. “The plan is rather simple. I will turn myself invisible. I will distract the Collector with an illusion. I will find and retrieve the stone. We will leave. That simple,” he explained. Airmeith looked at him from the side, shaking her head. “You cannot seriously believe this is going to work? There are magic dampers installed everywhere inside of that museum,” she told him. Loki looked at her questioningly. “And how would you know that?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Because I tried to break into that place before. I meant to free some of the creatures he keeps captive. I failed miserably,” she said frowning. “Just to clarify this: Does that mean we do not have the faintest idea how to get the stone?” she asked. “I am afraid so,” Loki confirmed with a nod. 

Airmeith was about to reply to this revelation when the ship finally touched the ground and the doors opened. The two of them disembarked and made their way through the usual dubious crowd on Knowhere. 

Suddenly, Loki was gripped from behind and pulled into a dark alleyway. It happened so fast he was merely able to gasp before disappearing into the shadows. Airmeith breath hitched. “No!” she heard herself exclaim and followed into the semi-dark, not very confidence-inspiring alley. She was able to make out two figures in the shadows, one of them Loki with what was undoubtedly a knife at his throat. A female voice started to speak. “What in Odin’s name are you of all people doing here? How by all the Norns are you even alive?!” Airmeith was about to speak up, calming words prepared, when she heard Loki chuckle. Chuckle?! “And good day to you too, Lady Sif!”


	8. Explanations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lady Sif makes a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. As usual, real life got in the way of writing.   
> I wanted to upload this asap because I am going on holiday tomorrow and won't be able to write for a week. It's not beta'd, sorry for any mistakes you may find. 
> 
> I know where I want this story to go and I know how I want it to end. Just have to fill in the middle. I usually don't post stuff that isn't finished, so this is quite the adventure. Plus, I am working on 5 different stories at the same time and this one is the one that's giving me the most trouble. So... enough said.
> 
> And now, enjoy!

“You, stay away from him!”, the woman with the knife instructed Airmeith, who in turn held up her hands for the other one to see and took a step back. “Lady Sif, as delighted as I am to meet you again, this may not be the best time to discuss my … return to the living,” Loki tried to inform her.

“And that is were you are mistaken, my prince,” the warrioress answered.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Stubborn, as always. Alright then. To shorten this: I survived on Swartalfheim. I returned to Asgard incognito but was discovered eventually. Odin is dead,” here, the blade was pressed against his throat much firmer and he added quickly “not through my hand! The long… lost evil sister of… oldest daughter of Odin, who happened to be the goddess of death, came back from her exile and was killed by Surtur who brought about Ragnarok and destroyed Asgard. We managed to evacuate the people, though all the warriors died, including your three favourite drinking companions. The rescue ship was attacked. My infamous heritage and this woman’s healing abilities saved my life. And here we are,” he explained with a gesture of his hands.

The armed woman was silent for a moment, still pressing the knife against his throat. “I do not believe a single word of this,” she said. 

Loki huffed. Airmeith was fascinated by his story. Clearly, there were major plot holes here, but she was certain the overall picture he’d just painted was true. It saddened her immensely to hear about the Asgardians’ fate. Having their home world destroyed and then running into Thanos. Luck was not on their side. 

“You know I could show you through thought transmission. But you won’t let me do it because you don’t trust me. So, what is your plan, Lady Sif, pray tell us,” Loki asked impatiently. 

The woman addressed as Lady Sif paused. “Skurge won’t answer my calls. Neither Heimdall. Why is that, Loki?” she asked eventually. 

“Because they are both dead and there is no Bifrost that could be opened for you anymore. I told you the truth. Your lack of trust in me is disturbing,” Loki mocked her. “You do realize that if I wanted to escape, I could have killed you easily already? I do have my Seidr, after all,” he continued while a green shimmer covered his hands. 

The Lady Sif hesitated for a moment, then slowly dropped her hands. “I still want an explanation. A good one,” she added. 

Loki nodded, but Airmeith cleared her throat. “Not to be rude or anything, but wasn’t there something we wanted to get done, Loki? Wasn’t there some reason we wanted it to get done fast?” she asked a bit nervous. 

“Pardon me asking, but who are you anyways?” Loki’s acquaintance asked. 

Before Airmeith could answer, Loki did. “This is Airmeith, goddess of healing, resurrection, health and pragmatic thinking,” he said with a grin as Airmeith shook her head with a smirk. “She saved my life and has agreed to help me on a … mission,” turning to Airmeith, he added “this is Lady Sif, Asgard’s fiercest warrioress. She’s an old friend of… she… I’ve known her for a long time. She is loyal to the crown,” was all he said, hurrying towards the end of his introduction. 

Airmeith understood that he didn’t want to talk about his brother, not now, at least. “You trust her? Could she help us?” she asked directly. There was no time for beating around the bush. 

Loki shot Sif a glance. “Possibly,” and with a flick of his hand, he’d performed some kind of magic. The noise from the rest of Knowhere subsided and the world outside of a 6 feet radius was slightly blurry. 

“I’ve cast a protection spell. We will be able to talk freely in here without anyone overhearing us. We are invisible as well,” he explained casually.  
“Impressive,” Airmeith stated with a nod. 

Sif rolled her eyes. “Do not encourage him, he will never shut up otherwise,” she said. To Loki, she added “well then, I am waiting for an explanation.” 

After arguing for about 20 minutes, Sif finally agreed to Loki showing her memories of what had happened. Airmeith was intrigued. She’d never witnessed thought transmission in progress. Loki, however, seemed nervous. She understood that there were things he didn’t want the other woman to see. They agreed to relocate to Sif’s current accommodation, which turned out to be a single small room seated above a shady imbiss. 

“Well, well, Lady Sif, I see you spared no expenses,” Loki mocked looking around the small, dimly lit room. 

“Oh, stop it already,” she grumbled. 

Loki cast several protecting spells and then sat down on the side of the narrow bed. Sif eyed him suspiciously but sat down next to him. Airmeith was perched on the only chair in the room. 

“Alright, I will touch my hands to your temples. You will have to close your eyes and try to relax. I am going to show you what has come to pass, but I will be quick because we have things to take care of. You may feel a bit dizzy afterwards, it helps to drink a glass of water. You will probably feel the need to ask questions. And maybe you will join in our plan.” Turning to Airmeith, he added, “it is likely that we make noises and shiver or twitch during the transmission. That is normal, please do not interfere. I think the whole procedure should not last longer than 10 minutes,” he added in explanation.

Sif looked at him expectantly. With a deep breath, Loki put his hands to her temples. It was obvious that she had to supress the urge to pull back, but she managed. She closed her eyes and both of them seemed to relax. Soon, it looked as if they were dreaming the same dream simultaneously. Their eyes moved behind their closed eyelids, their breathing synchronized. Sif’s forehead wrinkled, and she started to make little whimpering noises. 

Airmeith felt uncomfortable. She was certain that they had arrived at a rather unpleasant event of the past, though she couldn’t imagine Loki showing Sif his own suffering on purpose. He wouldn’t show her his supposed death, would he? How much did he even remember? She realized that she’d never asked. 

Sif’s face was contorted by now, her whimpers increasing in volume. She looked scared and angry at the same time, though not as tough anymore. Airmeith was sorry for her. She had lost friends in the fight preceding Asgard’s destruction and apparently, she’d been close to Loki’s brother. He didn’t talk about him, but Airmeith had done some research after all. 

Suddenly, Sif opened her eyes and gasped for breath. She stared at Loki, who now opened his eyes as well and gave her a solemn look. Sif stared at him in horror. Wordlessly, she took the glass of water Airmeith handed her. 

Sif opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. She took a sip of the water, then put the glass down with shaking hands. Closing her eyes again, she composed herself. When she looked finally looked at Loki, her expression was one of concentration. 

“Odin is…?”

“Yes.”

“And the Warriors Three are…?”

“Yes.”

“And Asgard is…?”

“Yes.” 

“And… Thor?” she whispered the last question, barely audible.

Loki looked at her and shrugged. He tried to look disinterested but didn’t quite manage it. “I do not know. Airmeith says others had been to the site of the attack before her and had taken an Asgardian with them who was close to me when the explosion occurred. I think it was him. But there is no way to find him now. And as you could see, there are other things to concentrate on,” Loki concluded, stretching his shoulders.

“The infinity stones,” she stated.

“The infinity stones,” Loki answered with a nod. 

“He has two now. Maybe more,” she said and both Loki and Airmeith nodded. “Another one is here, as you undoubtedly know. This is why you came here, isn’t it?” They nodded again. 

“I took it here with Volstagg a few years ago. I went to see it once, though the collector is very peculiar about it. You would think that he doesn’t display the original, for safety reasons, but he does. He prides himself in only possessing originals,” she said thoughtfully. “You want to steal it from him, don’t you?” Again, they nodded. 

Sif looked from Loki to Airmeith and back. She had come to a decision.

“Right. What do you need me to do?”


	9. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three people have to come up with a plan. Shouldn't be too difficult, should it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story keeps amazing me. It has a life of its own, because no matter what I plan on writing, somehow it keeps changing during the writing process. Weird...
> 
> If anyone is interested, there is something in the notes at the end of the chapter that happened to me during my holiday. I'm still trying to process it, it was so amazing and utterly unlikely, but it happened and I'm so happy about it that I start grinning like a lunatic when I think about it. And I keep telling it to everybody who would listen, so... ;-)
> 
> Enjoy the chapter and as always, let me know what you think! It's unbetad.

“What do you mean I couldn’t have killed you in the first place?”

“Airmeith?”

Airmeith sighed. Those two together were like children. Bickering, all the time!! Apparently, they had quite a history.

“He is under my protection. I have certain special abilities, though I may have to add that the invulnerability only works as long as we are on my ship. However, he still has some of my magic in him, so if you had cut his throat, I would have been able to prevent any real damage from afar.”

Sif looked at her with big eyes. “You can do that?”

Airmeith nodded. “Loki slit my throat. A trickle of blood was all that happened. But that only worked because it was happening on my ship. So, don’t get the wrong idea, I cannot prevent you from dying a violent death forever,” she chuckled. 

“He slit your throat?” Sif looked at her in shock. 

“Ahem, would you mind getting back to our main topic here?” Loki sounded annoyed. 

“You were the one who brought this up! You really slit her throat?” Sif asked still incredulous. 

“She just expl-…” – “Alright, stop this now! We have some thievery to plan!” Airmeith interjected. They would get nowhere if those two continued.

Sif shot another glance at Loki but kept her mouth shut. 

“Let me recapitulate. Sif, the Collector knows you. He knows who you are, who you work for, what you are. He knows me as well and we are not on friendly terms. However, he’s never met Loki. And, as far as I know, you, Loki, are pretty good with illusions. This is something we can use to our advantage. Any ideas?” Airmeith asked, distracting them from their bickering.

“I say Loki distracts him, I hit him on the head, you take the case with the stone and off we go,” Sif suggested. 

Loki rolled his eyes. “Always so straightforward, Lady Sif. Fantastic plan, but wouldn’t it be much better if the Collector didn’t know the stone was taken? Now tell me, how is he displaying it? Is the stone lying on a pillar or on a shelf? Is the case open or closed? What measures are taken to ensure it isn’t stolen? Can you answer any of those questions, Lady Sif? Can you actively help in this endeavour, which requires more than just brute force?” Loki mocked her. 

Sif’s eyes became dangerous slits and she looked like she was ready to pounce. Airmeith sighed. Whatever had happened between those two in the past, it was getting in the way of their mission.

“I agree, if possible, we should let the Collector believe he still owns the stone,” Airmeith stated, earning a huff from Sif and a grin from Loki.

“He doesn’t display it openly. He keeps it in the box we brought it in, closed. I’ve seen it when I visited again. I was to affirm the safety of the stone” Sif stated. 

“And how do we know it’s the real stone in there and not a facsimile?” Loki asked.

“Well, you should know, you’ve been playing around with infinity stones in the past,” Sif retorted.

Airmeith closed her eyes as another argument ensued. She prided herself of her calm and patience, but this was too much. They wouldn’t get anywhere if the Asgardian warrior and the Jotünn trickster kept this up. 

“ENOUGH!” she yelled.

Two rather surprised looking faces turned to her. 

“Thanos is on his way here. He could arrive any moment and you have nothing better to do than to argue and continue what seems to be a centuries old tradition of goading each other! There are lives at stake here, millions and millions of lives! We must bring this stone into our possession as quickly as possible. So please, stop arguing, at least until we have the stone. There are questions as to how to proceed afterwards, but first of all, we have to come up with a plan to get the stone! Valuable suggestions are welcome but stop the constant fighting!” Airmeith was out of breath after her speech. 

Sif looked at her feet and Loki was very interested in his fingernails. Funnily enough, both of them shrugged at the same time and mumbled their agreement.

“I have another Asgardian transport box, it looks exactly like the one we used for the stone,” Sif stated. 

“That’s good. You said the stone… shines through the slits in the box?” Airmeith asked. 

Sif nodded.

“Yes, there is a red glow coming through the slits in the sides. If we could simulate that, we’d likely be able to exchange the boxes,” she said. 

“That should not be a problem at all,” Loki remarked. 

The two women looked at him expectantly. 

“It’s simple, really. I will enchant another object, similar in size to the stone. It will keep a red glow, and nobody will suspect anything as long as the box is not opened. The only question is how to exchange the boxes. As the Collector knows the two of you and would very likely keep an eye on you if you turned up there, I can easily cast a spell and appear to him in any form I want. I could turn myself invisible as well, which may be the easiest solution. I’d suggest we prepare the box, I creep in there, exchange the boxes, come back with the stone and off we go,” Loki suggested in a rather bored tone. 

“Invisible. Of course!” Airmeith closed her eyes. Why hadn't she remembered that?

Loki nodded. 

“Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” she asked with a sigh, unnerved.

Loki shrugged. “I don’t know, it was amusing to see you struggle with meaningless ideas, I guess.”

Airmeith shot him a long look. She felt like she suddenly understood Sif and her wariness towards the trickster. He could be pretty annoying.

Furthermore, she wasn’t convinced of the plan. It sounded so simple. There surely had to be a catch somewhere.

“As far as I know, you’ll have to keep pressure on the pillar with the box. There is an alarm system, if any object is lifted from its place, the alarm sounds,” Sif explained. 

With a sigh, Loki rolled his eyes. 

“Have a little faith in my abilities. It’s not the first time I’m acquiring an object I am not supposed to have. I assume there aren’t any magic dampers in place?” he asked.

“Not as far as I know. Some of the objects that are exhibited are magical and would be destroyed or lose their value if the magic was dampened,” Sif answered. 

“Splendid. It seems we have a plan,” Loki said with a grim smile. 

They agreed on sending Loki on a test visit to the museum. He cast an illusion to take the appearance of an elderly light elf, earning chuckles and mean jokes from Sif. He was to appear as a scholar who wanted to get a glimpse at the most exquisite collection of rare objects in the galaxy. It wasn’t uncommon for scholars to turn up at the museum and the Collector usually did not pay them much attention as long as they behaved inconspicuous and with the right amount of awe and fascination. 

In the meantime, Sif and Airmeith were to prepare Sif’s departure from Knowhere. As the warrior maid hadn’t brought many possessions with her, the packing was done in no time. While waiting for Loki’s return to Sif’s room, the women took the opportunity to get better acquainted. 

Sif eyed the goddess of health. 

“I saw how you saved him in his memories. You have impressive healing powers,” Sif stated.

The other woman shrugged. “I do what I can to save people. Frankly, it’s difficult for me not to use my powers. When I see someone in pain, I have to help, it’s an irresistible urge. It causes me physical pain if I am not able to do so. Thanos causes so much suffering and pain, he has to be stopped,” she explained. 

“I’m sorry about your losses, by the way. You lost your home and your friends, as far as I know. Unfortunately, I can’t do anything against that kind of suffering, but if you need anything, please let me know,” Airmeith offered. 

Sif only nodded, which was what Airmeith had expected. She knew this kind of warrior. They were too proud to show much emotion, too much concerned with their reputation as fearless creatures who didn’t need anybody’s help. However, after sleepless nights – or worse, nights full of terror and fear as soon as they fell asleep – even those would come and seek her assistance. Most of them, anyways. 

“I think this is a mistake,” Sif mumbled, breaking the silence.

“What is a mistake?”

“Trusting him. He has betrayed those who put their trust in him countless times. I've known him for long enough to know that. I think we should go out and look for him,” Sif said while getting up and moving towards the door.

At that moment, there was a knock. She opened the door and a grinning light elf stood before them who morphed into a grinning Loki as soon as the door was closed. 

“All clear. This should be a piece of cake” the god of mischief stated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you may remember, I went on holiday 2 1/2 weeks ago. I went to London with my best friend for a week. On one of the hottest days, we get on the Tube after some serious shopping. We get in, sit down. It's incredibly hot and stuffy, not very full. I look around, see a familiar face, look away. Realisation hits me. HOLY SH*T! I look back, and there, on the same side as us further down, he sits: Tom Hiddleston, reading a newspaper and looking as annoyed by the heat as everyone else (well, why shouldn't he be?). We didn't do anything but fangirl in silence (until after he left, when I lost it a bit). When he left, he had to walk past our window and I swear, the man walks like Loki on the Bifrost. And those legs... dear me, those legs!


	10. AUTHOR'S NOTE

Hello everyone, 

dear readers (if there are any left...), you may have noticed that I am stuck with this fic. Originally planned as a oneshot (chapter 1), somehow I got talked into continuing it. I had a vague plot in mind that changed throughout the course of writing. I still have that plot in mind, but this won't become a Loki/OFC-fic. I like Airmeith, but I can't see them together. I can't really picture her with anybody, to be honest. And there will be changes.  
So what I am going to do is this: chapter 1 will stay. It was the originally planned oneshot and I like it a lot. It depicts my attitude and painful denial right after watching IW (I'm still ignoring IW, but I've become calmer about it) and I am - as I said - fond of it.   
What I will change is the rest. The chapters after chapter 1 that will be taken down eventually. I am going to write 2 more, new chapters that won't be as slow paced as this fic was up to now. Things will be summarized and it's going to be more like a narrative of what happened from Airmeith's POV.   
I don't know yet when I will be able to do that, as I am currently writing several other fics at the same time that are my priority (which I am going to upload soon-ish; new chapters for Iona as well as a 25+k prompt and a TomAU and another smutty oneshot or two........).   
I hope nobody is too disappointed, but this fic just doesn't feel right to me anymore. So... stay tuned, there will be more, but differently. (Definitely not same, same, but different).

Thank you all for reading, commenting, Kudos etc. Love you all!


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